The 2023 season gave us one of the vital closely-contested MVP races in WNBA historical past. The Connecticut Solar’s Alyssa Thomas earned essentially the most first-place votes and the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson obtained essentially the most second-place votes, but the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart captured her second MVP award.
This yr, Wilson is leaving little room for quibbling over who ought to obtain first-, second- or third-place votes, a lot much less fourth-place votes. She is authoritatively claiming the award she believed ought to have been hers final season by placing collectively one of the vital productive seasons in league historical past. Sure, the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier is making an impressive MVP case, establishing herself as a Defensive Participant of the 12 months candidate whereas serving because the offensive fulcrum for the overachieving Lynx. However when evaluating Collier’s statistical resume to Wilson’s, Wilson’s overwhelms. She’s made it inconceivable to disregard her excellence.
The 2020 and 2022 WNBA MVP is averaging 27.2 factors per recreation, which comfortably would surpass the best scoring common in league historical past: Diana Taurasi’s 2006 common of 25.0 factors per recreation. Taurasi’s level manufacturing was boosted her prolific 3-point capturing, when she made 3.5 3s per recreation; that was greater than a 3-pointer greater than the league’s second-most profitable 3-point shooter that season. Though Wilson is trying evermore comfy from behind the arc, evidenced by her 38.9 p.c mark from deep, she’s nonetheless taking simply 1.6 3s per recreation. Which means she’s doing a lot of her injury contained in the arc, and he or she’s nonetheless unstoppable. Wilson not solely expertly marshals her athletic benefits to energy her method to factors, however she additionally dips into an ever deeper bag of strikes, middies and extra. She’s develop into extra profitable at leveraging the defensive consideration she receives, organising her teammates for scores with a career-high 2.5 assists per recreation. With greater than two offensive rebounds per recreation, she additionally extends possessions for the defending champs.
Wilson’s offensive recreation is sufficient to have her on the forefront of any MVP dialog. Add in her protection, and the award ought to be signed, sealed and delivered to Sin Metropolis. As Edwin Garcia argued, Wilson might seize her third-straight Defensive Participant of the 12 months award. She impressively combines effort and intelligence on the defensive finish of the ground, not solely understanding the play that must be made however exerting the power required to make it. She’s going to battle with one of the best bigs, capably swap onto guards, execute a late contest, induce turnovers and finish possessions with a defensive board. She leads the league with 9.7 defensive rebounds per recreation, whereas additionally claiming the blocks crown with 2.8 per recreation. Her 1.8 steals per recreation is the sixth-best mark within the W.
Wilson’s two-way play has resulted in her ceaselessly attaining uncommon and distinctive statistical achievements. On Sunday, she set a WNBA single-season report with 11 video games of greater than 25 factors and 10 rebounds. She’s one in every of 15 gamers in WNBA historical past to notch a recreation of 20 factors and 20 rebounds. And she or he grew to become the one participant within the league historical past to attain at the least 20 factors in 20-straight video games. She’s already been named Western Convention Participant of the Week thrice, whereas she was the Western Convention Participant of the Month for Might and June. She’s additionally the all-time main scorer and rebounder in franchise historical past.
Wilson’s elite tangibles are matched by her equally elite intangibles. She’s a pacesetter who uplifts her teammates and takes accountability for her workforce’s shortcomings. She doesn’t use her greatness as permission to be above her workforce; as an alternative, she understands and accepts her duty as the muse of the aspiring Aces dynasty. Wilson possesses an alchemy of capacity and angle that has her poised to earn her third (and may have been fourth?) MVP award.
After all, the season is simply over midway full. Wilson’s Aces have performed 23 of 40 video games. Issues can change. It’s onerous to know the way the month-long break for the 2024 Olympic Video games might shift the contours of the season. Nevertheless, at this second, it seems like, no matter occurs, Wilson will be certain the 2024 WNBA MVP award belongs to her.
